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Players Broncos Picks Injuries Projections Rookies Blogs SuperbowlPublished: July 10, 2009
After the firing of head coach Mike Shanahan at the end of last year’s football season, the Broncos have been the talk of the NFL. Owner Pat Bowlen decided it was time for a change in Denver when he fired Shanahan.
He hired Brian Xanders as General Manager and former Patriots’ Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels as head coach. The new regime took over and—little did I know— immediately started making changes to the Broncos’ roster.
The first big change started as a doozy. Rumors circulated that the Broncos were trying to trade for Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel even though they already had Jay Cutler on the roster. Oops.
Cutler took this news as a sign of disrespect and demanded a trade. The team eventually obliged, sending Cutler to the Bears. In return, the Broncos received a few draft picks and former Bears’ starting quarterback Kyle Orton.
Now the Broncos are dealing with trade demands from superstar wide receiver Brandon Marshall. Marshall has continued to get into trouble off-the-field as a member of the Broncos and feels a change of scenery is necessary to have a long, successful NFL career.
The question fantasy owners want answered: How does Denver’s tumultuous offseason affect fantasy football this season?
Cutler’s stats probably will decrease a little due to the loss uber-talented wide receivers Marshall and Eddie Royal. But Matt Forte owners should rejoice because opposing defenses will no longer be about to stack the line against the run with the threat of Cutler and the deep ball.
Orton’s outlook really cannot be determined until Marshall’s status is known for sure. If Marshall somehow stays in Denver, Orton could be in for a great season with Royal and Marshall catching passes along with sure-handed rookie Knowshon Moreno coming out of the backfield.
As for Moreno, ranked by The Hazean as the second-best rookie running back this year, his fantasy production depends on Marshall as well. In fact, Marshall is the difference maker in terms of fantasy production for just about all of the offensive players around him, especially Royal.
Fantasy aside, I wonder if Bowlen is kicking himself for firing Mike Shanahan and starting this high-profile chain of reactions?
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